Automatic bearing adjuster



J. F. WUSIE AUTOMATIC BEARING ADJUSTER Fild March 21, 1921 hit l 'atented Apr. 24, 1923.

earner JOHN 13. 13.0513, F MOLINEE, ILLINOIft.

teammate sesame anriisrnn.

A ueanonmeu March 21, an. serial no. 452,932.

li o aZZ whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, alone: 1*. Ros-n, a citiz'en of the United States, and a resident of l vlolinain the county of lioclr Island and Eitate oi Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Bearing Adjusters, of which the following is a full, eleaiyand eiiactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in bearing adjusters,and it consists in the coinbinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

i in objectof my invention is to provide a device that is adapted to be applied to a bearing and is automatically operated to adjust the parts of the bearing relatively in order to compensate for wear on the bearing and on a member j ournalled therein.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide a device of the character described in which the adjustment of the parts of the bearing is effected by spring actuated means.

it further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which bearing members are maintained in constantly adjusted relative positions to operatively support a shaft, or the like, without shims or spacing members of various thicknesses being required.

it further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described that v pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device applied to a bearing,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device operatively applied, and

Figures 3, 4C and 5 are detail views inelevation of elements of the device.

in carrying out my invention, I make use of a bearing, such as denoted generally at 1, that comprises cooperating semi-cylindrical lug extension 5 is provided with an opening 7 therethrough alined with a similar opening 8 through the corresponding lug extension 6 and means are projected through the alined openings and engage the lug extensions to maintain the members 2 and 3 in adjusted positions to support a shaft 9, while permitting free functional movement of the latter.

The means ordinarily provided to maintain the bearing members 2 and 3 in position to supporta shaft are not adjusted automatically and as wear on the relatively moving parts ensues, the shaft becomes loose in its bearing and the strain on the parts is increased, thereby tending to shorten the life of the parts in service. In the embodiment of the invent-ion illustrated, i provide means for maintaining the bearings 2 and 3 constantly in position to support a shaft for rotation without play between the relatively moving parts being permitted on account of Wear on such parts. To this end, bolts 10-10 are projected through the alined openings in the lug extensions and are held against rotatiton by reason of the engagement of flattened portions 11-11 of heads 12-12 thereof with the adjacent sides of the connector 41. Each bolt is arranged with its shank projecting beyond the lug extention and provided with a screw thread 13 of relatively long pitch. A sleeveor thimble 1 1 is threaded interiorly for engaement with the threaded end portion of the bolt and the initial adjustment of the bearing member 3 relative to the bearing member 2 is effected by manually operating the retaining sleeve 1%. The retaining sleeve 14- has an outwardly extending flange 15 at a spaced distance from the end thereof abutting the lug extension. it spiral spring 16 is disposed on the sleeve 14- and one end thereof is secured at 17 in an opening through the flange 15. Since the the flange 15 is spaced from the upper wall of the adjacent lug extension, the end portion of the spring 16 will not be clamped between the flange and the lug extension 6 so as to prevent rotation of the sleeve. An adjusting washer 18 is placed on the bolt 10 and has a flange 19 to which the adjacent end of the spring 16 is secured, as at 20.

Wii

Mill

Milli llh From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The bearing member 3 is adjusted relative to the bearing member 2 by means of the threaded sleeves. Each spring 16 is then placed under torsional stress by turning the adjusting washer 18 and will be maintained in that condition when each adjusting washer is locked in position, as by vmeans of a cotter pin 21 projected through a transverse opening 22 in the bolt 10 and engaging diametrically disposed grooves 23 in the upper surface of the adjusting washer. The bolts are held against rotation on account of the engagement of the heads thereof with the adjacent portions of the connector 4 and the adjusting washers are locked against rotation. As wear on the relatively moving parts ensues, the space between the adjacent portions of the leg extensions is lessened and. the movement of these members together permits the sleeves to be turned in response to the torsional thrust of the springs 16-16 so that the bearing members 2 and 3 will be constantly maintained in adjusted relative positions to support a shaft, with the necessity for providing shims or other spacing members, of various thicknesses obviated.

The device is simple in construction, is thoroughly effective for the purpose intended, and is not likely to get out of order easily.

I claim: a

In a device of the character described, a threaded bolt having an opening extending transversely therethrough and adjacent the outer end thereof, a sleeve having an interiorly threaded bore arranged to receive said threaded bolt, said sleeve having a radial flange on the peripheral wall thereof, an adjustable washer having radial grooves 011 the upper face thereof, a torsion spring arranged to lie concentric with said sleeve on said bolt and engage said flange at one end and said washer at the other end, and a pin projected through the opening in said bolt and arranged to engage the grooves in said washer to normally prevent the rotation of said washer on said bolt.

JOHN F. ROSE. 

